How will the growing use of robots change people’s lives and make a difference for society? How do teens want robots to make a difference in the future? As ever more capable robots evolve from the realm of science fiction to real-world devices, these questions are becoming increasingly important.

Remember ATLAS? That massive walking robot that DARPA is building with Boston Dynamics?Last time we saw it, it had two major flaws that made it ever-so-slightly less intimidating: it was loud as hell, and it needed a big, thick support cable to keep it powered and upright.Both of those issues have been fixed.DARPA released a video on January 20 demonstrating the latest version of ATLAS, and it’s a doozy. DARPA says about 75% of the bot has been redesigned, with only the stuff below the knees staying the same.

With funding from the National Science Foundation and two private donors, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, will establish a research center intended to help develop medical robots that can perform low-level and repetitive surgical tasks, freeing doctors to concentrate on the most challenging and complex aspects of the operations they perform.

Those looking to get in on the robotics game have a number of choices in where they might go to learn about robo-topics like mobility, manipulation, and artificial intelligence.A number of top-notch universities around the country (as well as some less-than-obvious names) offer robotics education programs befitting plenty of people looking to build the next great robot.Whether you want to build a better Roomba or a new best friend, here are ten colleges that will give you the tools you need.

As the Pentagon expands its use of robots on the battlefield and its investments in developing robot technology, a movement to ban the use of autonomous robots on the battlefield is growing. Those who decry the use of robots argue that removing the human element from warfare would remove all moral judgment; robot soldiers would be unfeeling killing machines.One researcher, however, believes just the opposite. He argues that robot soldiers would make warfare more ethical, not less.

TOKYO -- President Obama played soccer Thursday with a Japanese robot. Obama's visit to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, or Mirikan, aimed to highlight both Japan's technological prowess and the renewal of a 10-year scientific collaboration agreement between the two countries.

ROBOTS came into the world as a literary device whereby the writers and film-makers of the early 20th century could explore their hopes and fears about technology, as the era of the automobile, telephone and aeroplane picked up its reckless jazz-age speed. From Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” and Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot” to “WALL-E” and the “Terminator” films, and in countless iterations in between, they have succeeded admirably in their task.

A few months ago, we heard rumors that Google was planning something big in robotics. We also heard that Andy Rubin, the engineer who spearheaded the development of Android at Google, was leading this new robotics effort at the company. Rubin, we were told, is personally interested in robots, and now he wants Google to have a major role in making robotics happen. Not just robotic cars, but actual robots.

A robotic arm has rung the NASDAQ closing bell to honor the launch of ROBO-STOX™ Global Robotics and Automation Index (Bloomberg: ROBO/ROBOTR), the first benchmark index dedicated to this burgeoning industry. "The growing affordability of robotic productivity gains, coupled with expanding technological capabilities, have moved this sector beyond the 'tipping point,' and the adoption of related technologies across multiple industries should continue to accelerate," said Rob Wilson, CEO of ROBO-STOX.

The National Science Foundation (NSF), in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and NASA, today announced new investments totaling approximately $38 million for the development and use of robots that cooperatively work with people to enhance individual human capabilities, performance and safety.

In his interview with Reuters, Magnus Egerstedt, Schlumberger Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech, suggests that swarm robotics can and will be used in security and defense where groups of robots can cover large areas. His research in this area focuses on the problem of routing multiple range constrained robots to service spatially distributed requests at specified time instants, while ensuring a connected information exchange network at all times.

(New York Times, January 26, 2013, by Carla Diana.) Meeting Simon for the first time was one of the most sublime experiences I’ve had. With every coy head nod, casual hand wave and deep eye gaze, I felt he already knew me. Simon is a humanoid robot being developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology for the purposes of exploring intuitive ways for people and machines to live and work alongside one another.

(New York Times, January 23, 2013, by John Markoff.) The robot equipment industry has one word for the alarmist articles and television news programs that predict a robot is about to steal your job: Fiddlesticks! Well, that wasn’t actually the word used this week at the Automate 2013 trade show held here through Thursday, but the sentiment was the same.

How will the growing use of robots change people’s lives and make a difference for society? How do teens want robots to make a difference in the future? As ever more capable robots evolve from the realm of science fiction to real-world devices, these questions are becoming increasingly important.

A robot named ISAAC — born with a versatile, spinning head and a robust, acrobatic arm — promises to give NASA’s Langley Research Center a leg up in the quest to develop lighter, stronger composite structures and materials for aerospace vehicles.One of only three such robots in the world, the multi-million dollar system came to Langley in the autumn and will be ready to spring into action after a Jan. 26 commissioning ceremony.ISAAC’s arrival has been described as a milestone.

-- Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are developing robots to explore volcanoes-- VolcanoBot 1 was tested at Kilauea volcano in Hawaii-- A lighter, smaller VolcanoBot 2 will be tested this year

Remember ATLAS? That massive walking robot that DARPA is building with Boston Dynamics?Last time we saw it, it had two major flaws that made it ever-so-slightly less intimidating: it was loud as hell, and it needed a big, thick support cable to keep it powered and upright.Both of those issues have been fixed.DARPA released a video on January 20 demonstrating the latest version of ATLAS, and it’s a doozy. DARPA says about 75% of the bot has been redesigned, with only the stuff below the knees staying the same.

Industrial automation company Comau SpA has produced a three-point-shooting robot to demonstrate if it is nimble enough to sink a basketball, then it is capable of working alongside people in a factory or lab.The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV company recently featured one of its small-payload robots, called Racer, in a video with San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Marco Belinelli.In the video, the robot shows off its hoops skills by spinning a basketball on its "fingertip," passing to Belinelli and even beating the Italy-born NBA champion in a three-point contest.

Pages

LATEST DISCUSSIONS

Dear Colleagues, we would like the new web site of Robotics VO to become an important place for exchange of ideas and information for the members of the robotics community in the USA. We start this very first forum to hear your suggestions on the features and functions that our new web site should have.